The Art of Deduction
by SammyAnne
Summary: Catherina Verna has a secret. She is a professional at the art of deduction. Looks like Sherlock just met his match.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I just walked out of the shop and headed to my home. I had 4 hours to get ready for Ellyanna's party tonight. She told me that she was going to introduce me to someone special. Hopefully, she isn't trying to set me up with this bloke. The last one was a complete failure. I walked down the street and up the stairs to mine and my mum's apartment. I unlocked the door and set my bags by the door. "Mum, I'm home. I got some more of those jammie dodgers. They're the blueberry kind, your favorite." I walked into the living room and it was a wreck. "Mum?" I walked into the kitchen and there was blood everywhere. Laying in the middle of the kitchen was my mother.

I was standing outside my house. I couldn't feel anything. The rain started to pick up and I couldn't even feel it. It felt like it had been hours when I found my mother dead. No one came to talk to me. They tried putting a shock blanket on me but I just ended up throwing it back to them. I wanted to go see her but no one would let me go inside. Every time I got close to the gate, someone pulled me away, telling me I can't contaminate the area. They also kept talking about some expert that was on his way. I had no idea why they would need an expert for this. I walked to the gate and just stood there, waiting for this expert to arrive. I realized how they wouldn't let any of the other police inside. What were they doing?

"Ms. Verna?" I turned to see a short man with blonde hair stop behind me. "Yes? Are you the expert everyone keeps talking about?" He looked behind him and turned back to me. "Uh, no. I'm John Watson. I'm his partner. I just came to ask you under any circumstances, try not to hit him." I looked at him confused and turned my attention to a much taller man. He had curly brown hair and really nice cheekbones. He walked towards me and stopped right in front of me.

"Catherina Verna. I am Sherlock Holmes. Your mother is dead laying on your kitchen floor and you haven't even cried. That is quite unusual, don't you think? Unless you were a part of her murder. So let's just cut to the chase, did you kill your mother?" Is this guy serious? I balled up my fist and straight up punched him in the jaw. "Mr. Holmes, I don't know who you think you are but you will treat me and my mother with respect. If I hear you making all these stupid allegations again, there will be more of those coming in your future."

He held his cheek and smiled. "I like her, bring her inside." He then walked into my house and Watson offered his arm. "I'm sorry for him." I took his arm and we walked inside. Everything was the same in the house when I left it. My mom was still in the same place. Sherlock was pacing around her. "You, Catherina, tell me what you think happened here." I looked around for a moment and took everything in. "The place is a mess but there isn't any incisions on her hands to verify there was a struggle. She let her attacker in and they attacked her as they walked in the living room. They threw her around the room but she didn't fight back. Knowing my mother, she would have fought with full blunt force. That means she was unconscious. Meaning there were multiple attackers. There is a new bed in the guest bedroom so that means that there would be movers coming in to help her bring it in. There are only 3 furniture shops in London, but 2 of them are closed on Sundays. That only leaves one. There is blood all over the kitchen, yet there is no stab wounds on her body, and that blood is cow blood. It has a distinct smell and color to it. So, mum can you please get off the damn kitchen floor and explain why you made me call the police all the way down here?"

She didn't get up. "Mum, I can see you breathing!" Finally, she let out a laugh and picked herself off the floor. "Nothing can get past you, love." I looked at the detectives and put my hand to my forehead. "I'm so sorry I made you come all the way down here…." The men both looked at me. They had a look of something. Was it impression? Where they impressed by what I said? "What?" I asked. "That….was brilliant." John said. I smiled and I could feel my face turn red. "I knew there was a reason I liked you." Sherlock held out his hand towards me. I looked at him and slapped him. "And what….was that for?" He asked, holding his face. "You knew. I know you knew. I can see it all over your face. I thought my mother was dead and you played along as if this was a bloody game. The only reason I didn't slap Watson is because he is too stupid to figure it out. No offence, John."

He looked at me and smiled. "You're just like him, you know. Just as smart too. Maybe smarter." I looked at Sherlock and he smiled. "I want you out. Get out of my house and take your coppers with you." Sherlock gave me one last look then started to walk out the door. Watson followed behind him like a lost puppy dog. "If you ever feel like visiting, the address is 221b Baker St. Don't be afraid to stop by." I watched him walk out then I looked at my mother and she smiled. "Oh don't even. You are in so much trouble. No jammie-dodgers for you." She walked towards me and I moved away. "Mum! That weirdo forgot his jacket." I could hear her laugh from the kitchen. "You better have that kitchen cleaned up by the time I get home! And I'm taking the jammie-dodgers with me!" I grabbed the bag from beside the door and grabbed my keys. I took the jacket and folded it on my arm. It smelled amazing. It was cold so I took advantage of the jacket and slipped it on. It was huge on me but at least it was warm. I got in my car and made my way to 221b Baker St.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I parked my car and locked it. I took off the jacket as soon as I got down the street so he wouldn't know I wore it. I looked at the door and knocked on it. A short woman came to the door and smiled. "Sherlock said you would come. He's upstairs." I stood there a little confused but then walked upstairs. The room was a mess. There were tubes and chemicals all spread around. Sherlock was on the couch and Watson was typing. "Typing about Sherlock?" I asked, bringing the attention to me. "Why would you think that?" He asked, looking at me. I breathed in. "Well…you're typing a lot." Sherlock snorted but didn't move. I hung his jacket on the rack and turned to him.

"You're welcome." I turned to leave but suddenly there were two hands on my upper arms turning me around and pressing me to the wall. Sherlock put his fingers to my throat. "What is wrong with you? Why are you taking my pulse?" He put his finger to my lips. "Why can't I read you. You obviously can read everything about me but I can't. Why are you hiding from me?" I pushed him away from me. "You are seriously freaking me out." Watson finally stopped typing and stood. "When you guys are done with your 'love session' you can sit and make yourself comfortable."

I walked towards the couch and sat down. Sherlock followed me and laid down, laying his head on my lap. I just rolled my eyes and looked at Watson. "I see personal space means nothing to you." He put his hands beneath his chin. It looked like he was praying. "You're the one who sat in my area. Not my fault." Just then, the older woman walked in with tea and biscuits. "Oh, Sherlock, you didn't tell me that you had a lady friend." I looked at her with utter disbelief. "Uh, I am not his girlfriend!" She giggled and set down the tray. I looked down at him and studied his features. "Can you please not stare, I'm trying to think and your pulse is not helping my concentration." I looked away and blushed. I looked back at him and ran my fingers through his curly hair. He shifted a little but didn't stop me. I looked up at John. He was back at the computer, typing away. I continued to play with his hair until John slammed the computer shut.

"Come on, Sherlock. We have a case." Sherlock jumped up and smiled. "We're taking the girl." I looked up at him in shock. He grabbed my hands and lifted me up. "Come, Ms. Verna. Time to see you in action." He walked towards the coat rack and picked up his jacket. "You can wear my jacket again." I shook my head. "I should have known you would find out." He helped me put the jacket on and smiled. "Of course I would know. It smells like you. Plus I'm the smartest person in the room." I laughed. "Uh, you mean second smartest." John laughed. "I really like her. She's a keeper." I smiled and looked back to Sherlock. He walked out of the door and down the stairs. "Mrs. Hudson, we're leaving. Would you mind setting up the other room for Ms. Verna? She is going to be staying for a while." I looked at him and laughed. "And who said this would be alright?" He spun around and looked at me.

"I did, just now. Keep up, Cath." Wow, were on pet names now. "Really? Cath?" He smiled and popped the collar on the jacket. "Yes. Cath. Catherina is a bit of a mouthful." He winked at me and opened the door. "After you." I walked out into the cold air and breathed in. "Watson. Would you do me the honor of sharing a cabby with me?" He smiled as he pulled a cab for us. "It would be my honor." I turned to Sherlock. "You can catch the next one, Locket." He looked at me in shock. "Yeah, doesn't feel good now, does it? Maybe you should start being nice to little Watson over here."

I stepped into the cab and John followed me in. I gave Sherlock one little wave and turned to John. "I would like to get a little bit of a background on you and Sherlock, so I know what I will be getting into when I become your new flat mate." He laughed and looked at me. "Are you really thinking about taking Sherlock up on his offer?" I looked down at me hands and played with my grandmother's ring. "Well I might. I just want to know what he is like, and where we are heading?" He looked up at the streets and pulled out his phone. He read something and then responded then put his phone away. "We are headed to a crime scene. Sherlock is what he likes to call a 'consulting detective'. When the cops need someone, he is there. He solves cases and I blog about them."

I laughed a lot harder than I should have. He looked at me confused until I got myself under control. "I'm so sorry. It's just….that was very out of line. I'm sorry." We finally stopped outside of a police line. John got out and closed the door behind me. I looked around and there were police clearing out of the house. I walked towards the police line and ducked under it. A man walked up and tried to push me back. "Sorry, this is a police investigation. No civilians allowed." I looked him over and collected everything about him. I rolled my eyes and pushed past him. "Oh, move Anderson. I have no time for your idiocy. I'm with Sherlock. Is he here?" I turned and nearly bumped into Sherlock.

"Took you long enough, Locket. Come along boys, we have a case to solve." I walked inside and got several stares from the passing police. "Hold on, what is she doing in here? This is a police investigation. It's bad enough we let you two in here. Get her out of here." The woman grabbed my arm to escort me out and I pulled my arm away. "If one more person put's their hands on me, I will press charges." Sherlock took my arm and directed me to the scene. "Alright, five minutes. Tell me what you can pull from her." I laughed and walked towards her body. "Oh no, Locket, it's your turn. Impress me."

It was silent as Sherlock looked around the body. He stood and stared at her and then walked straight out. "Wait, where are you going? Sherlock!" He walked out the door and out of sight. I looked to John and he walked past me. "What's going on? What was that?" John stopped and looked at me. "He knows that woman. She was the most important woman to him." I turned to look at her body and then back at him. "Who is she? What was she to him?" He breathed in a long deep breath and walked out. I turned to the detective and she shrugged. I walked back into the room and inspected her closer. I breathed in and stood up quickly. "My god. Irene Adler."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I walked out of the house and looked around. Sherlock and John were nowhere to be found. I walked around outside and let everything sink in. I called for a cab and was on my way to Sherlock's home. "A lot on your mind?" Asked the cabby. "Uh, yeah. I could use a little silence right now." The cabby smiled. "Understood ma'am." He pulled up to the curb of Sherlock's home. "You have a nice day, ma'am. I hope things get better for you." I paid the cabby and walked inside. Mrs. Hudson walked in to meet me. "Ms. Verna, Sherlock is upstairs. He seems to have a lot of things on his mind. Did you two have a fight?" I couldn't help but laugh. "No, Mrs. Hudson. Me and Sherlock aren't together!" She shrugged and looked upstairs. "Your room is ready for you to settle in. I was going to put you downstairs, but Sherlock wouldn't let me. So, I put you upstairs." I smiled and walked up the stairs.

Sherlock's door was open so I walked into the room. Sherlock was standing by the window, fiddling with a violin. "Busy day. Isn't it, Locket?" He turned toward me and sat down. I took off his jacket and hung it up. "Thanks for letting me use your jacket. Very sweet of you." He didn't respond. I sat down on the chair across from him. "Look, Sherlock, is the fact that you were involved in Ms. Adler going to cloud your judgment? I can take over this if you can't handle this." He put his violin down and turned towards me. "It doesn't make sense. I got her out of there. I made everyone think she was dead! I don't understand." I sighed. "Sherlock, there is going to be many things you aren't going to understand, it's the matter of how you want to deal with it. You will figure this out. You just have to take some time. Sometimes, I do this thing. I call it my escape. I just go into my head and focus on what I need to figure out. It works for me and it might work for you." He smiled and pat my shoulder.

"He calls it his mind palace." I turned and saw John in the doorway. "You startled me." He walked inside and sat by his computer. "Alright, Sherlock. Tell me about Irene Adler." He looked at me and furrowed his brow. "I really don't like to talk about that woman. She was just a nuisance." I looked him over and glared at him. "Locket, I don't appreciate it when people lie to me. So tell me the truth before I go talk to Johnny Boy. I'm sure he'll tell me a lot more than you are willing to." He breathed in and gently took my arm. "John, stay here. If any of the investigators come by, tell them I'm out and will get back to them soon. Mrs. Hudson! Keep John company!" Sherlock threw me his jacket to wear and pulled up the collar again. "Where are you going, Sherlock?" John asked. He looked a little bit jealous of Sherlock's assertiveness towards me.

"I'm just going to take Mrs. Verna home so she can pick up her things. Come along, Cath. We have things to do." I walked out with him and he stopped to call a cab. "I brought my car, Locket. I can drive there." He looked at me and smiled. I smiled back and shook my head. "We're not going to my flat. I should have known." A cab pulled up and he opened the door for me. "I told you, smartest person in the room." I got into the cab and slid to the other side of the cab. He got in and told the cabby the directions. I listened intently and laughed to myself. "Locket, why are we going to the shops?" He looked at me and smiled. "We need to get you a coat. I would like mine back." I shook my head. "I have my own coats, if you would just let me get them." He laughed and pulled on the collar. "Yes, but you don't have one like this. You need one. Maybe a scarf, too."

I smiled and looked out the window. "So, tell me about you and Johnny." He looked at me, confused. He was about to say something, but we reached the shops before he could. He opened the door and got out. I followed him as he paid the cabby. The shops were full of people walking around with their bags. I noticed a man standing there, watching me. He looked very innocent, yet strangely creepy. "Sherlock, there's a man watching us." I turned to him and he walked up beside me. "Where? I don't see anyone." I looked back to where he was standing, but he was gone. "Never mind, must have been my imagination."

He offered me his arm and I took it. We walked inside and into this odd store. I let go of him and looked around. I was looking at some really nice dresses when Sherlock came up to me with this overcoat that looked almost exactly like his although it was much smaller and had a tint of blue. "It's your size. You can try it on if you want." I smiled and shrugged off his jacket. I took the coat and slipped it on. It fit perfectly and didn't look that bad on me. "I picked that color because I thought it would bring out your eyes. Plus the black would have just drained out the color of your skin." Was that a compliment? I laughed. "Ouch. That one really hurt."

He smiled and took the jacket off. "I'll go pay for this. You can continue looking at…" He looked the dresses over and then back at me. "Please tell me you aren't planning on purchasing any of these." I put one of the dresses I had in my hand back on the rack. "Well not anymore." He smiled and walked away. I continued to browse the aisles until I came to the lingerie section. I thought about buying some and giving it to John for his alone time with Sherlock.

I laughed to myself and turned around. I bumped into a man and gasped. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He said. He had a very soft voice. "You're the guy that was watching us. Why are you following me?" He smiled. "I don't like competition, Catherina. I suggest you walk out of the store and get into the cab that is waiting for you outside. You tell anyone where you are going, Sherlock dies." I stared at him in horror as he walked past me. "Who are you?" He turned to me and smiled. "I'm surprised Sherlock hasn't mentioned me, considering how close we were." He laughed to himself and shook his head. "The name is Moriarty, and you are running out of time." I watched him walk away and quickly ran out of the shop.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I walked outside and tried my best to avoid Sherlock. I walked towards the street and saw the cab. I walked towards it and the cabby opened the door for me. I got in and looked back towards the store. It was eerily deserted. I snuggled in Sherlock's coat and breathed in his scent. I was scared. It was silent the entire ride. We finally pulled up to an old abandoned building. The cabby got out and opened the door for me. I reluctantly got out of the cab and watched him drive away. I turned around and walked into the building. I wonder why Moriarty brought me here. Inside the building, the smell of mildew was strong in the air. I walked deeper into the darkness. I was holding onto the wall and sliding my feet around in so I wouldn't trip over anything.

I could tell the room was big because I could hear the echo of my boots. Suddenly, I could hear footsteps coming in my direction. I hid against the wall and waited. A figure walked in and I tackle it to the ground. We wrestled on the ground for a moment but I soon pinned him to the ground. "What's going on here?! Where's Sherlock?" The figure is silent for a second then whispers. "Catherina?" I sighed. "John? What are you doing here?" I quickly got off of John and helped him to his feet. "Sorry." I said. He just shook his head and sighed. "I got a letter that told me to come here. I don't know why I'm here, and just for the record, Sherlock is not to know that you pinned me." I let out a stressed laugh and dusted off my jeans.

Just then the lights blink on, blinding us both. I put my hand to my eyes until my eyes adjusted, then I put my hand to my side. In the middle of the room was a severely beaten Sherlock. He was shirtless and tied by his hands that left him hanging from the ceiling. "Oh my god. Sherlock!" John and I shouted in unison. We quickly ran to him. I held on to him while John untied his hands. He slowly crumpled to the floor as I laid his head in my lap. "Sherlock….Sherlock please wake up." I wiped the blood off his face. I looked up at John with tears welling in my eyes. "You're a doctor! Don't just stand there! Do something!" I could feel the tears slide down my cheeks as John looked him over. "That's strange. Nothing's broken." I looked down at Sherlock and stroked his face.

"Please wake up, Sherlock. You're a little too heavy to carry out of here." I said. I looked up and scanned the room. "John, there's a bucket over there. Take it out to the river and fill it up." He took the bucket and walked out the door. I cradled Sherlock's head protectively and ran my hand through his curls. He was dirty and covered in blood, yet he still looked beautiful. I smiled and rested my hand on his cheek. I lowered my face to his and gently brushed my lips against his then leaned back. I looked up and saw John standing in the doorway with the bucket. I felt my face turn red. "I won't say anything if you don't say anything." I nodded in agreement as he walked towards me with the bucket.

I gently laid his head on the floor and stepped back. He splashed the water on Sherlock and he shot up like a bullet. I kneeled beside him and laid my hand on his. "Are you alright? What happened?" He shook the water out of his hair and leaned up. John helped him up and Sherlock steadied himself. "I was paying for your coat and walked outside to wait for you and a group of men shoved a sack over my head and pushed me in a van. Very embarrassing way to be kidnapped." I shook my head and laughed. "At least you're alright. Come on let's get you-" Suddenly a loud noise erupted in the room and pain seared through my stomach. I fell to the ground and clutched my stomach.

"Catherina! Catherina, you're going to be alright. Do you hear me? John get your car and meet me out front." John ran out of the room and left me with Sherlock. He picked me up and carried me to the door. John pulled around front and opened the backseat door. Sherlock carefully got us into the backseat and shut the door. "Get us to the nearest hospital. Don't worry about stop lights, speed limits, or the police. Just keep driving until we get there. Catherina, you stay with me, alright? Listen to me. Keep your heart beating." He held me close. "Locket…..I'm scared." He smiled down at me and pat my head. "Fear is a useless emotion." I smiled and coughed up blood.

"Moriarty." I whispered. He looked at me intensely. "What?" He asked. He looked shocked at the sound of his name. "The man….in the store…..he was watching us….he's the one who did this." He looked at John. "Hurry up! We are running out of time! We have 17 minutes until she bleeds to death." He looked back down at me. "That was a terrible kiss, by the way." I smiled at him. "Maybe I could try again sometime." He shook his head. "We're here! Get her inside, Sherlock." He opened the door and carefully carried me out of the car. He quickly ran into the hospital with me in his arms. "I need assistance over here! She's been shot!" Suddenly, I was surrounded by doctors and nurses. They put me on a gurney and wheeled me down the hall.

"Sir, you can't come any further." They said to Sherlock. "Like hell I can't. I'm not leaving her." Sherlock held onto my hand and didn't let go. "Get him out of here." The doctors said to the nurses. The nurses eventually pulled Sherlock away from me as he protested. "It's alright, Locket. You'll see me soon." I shouted to him. I could see him relax and they wheeled me into the operating room. "We are going to prep you for surgery. Alright? We are going to put you under." I nodded and winced. They gave me some things in IV's and before I could slip under, I caught a glimpse of my surgeon. It was Moriarty.


End file.
